First Tractor...JD vs NH vs Kubota vs Mahindra

[DavesTractor]

My Mahindra 3215 has a Mitsubishi engine. I'm not sure where it was made though.

Your tractor is made in Japan by Mitsubishi, final assembly is in the USA, but that is basically just installing tires, loaders, the seat, steering wheel, three-point arms etc.

 

[litework]

Well as they say...bigger is better (?). Call me crazy, but I've made up my mind on a Kub M6040 DT 4wd....now guys, remind me why I want an FEL. Im not moving hay or large piles of dirt....it's an awfully expensive front end weight. I'm sure I'd find a good use for it if I had it...but right now it's evading me. Well now that I think about it, I did want to move some dirt around to create a backstop for a small firing range.

Excellent choice. Me, I'll never own another utility tractor without an FEL. You've already found one reason to use it...it shouldn't take too much time to come up with others. I use mine to load gravel, blue stone, and load manure into the manure spreader. See, that only took me two seconds.

 

[sugarmaple]

Jackster-

Weighing in heavily, here in favor of the loader. The bucket has many uses once you have one. AND, forks are equally handy for putting heavy stuff on pallets and moving it without strain, over head on pallet racks, etc. I made channel iron fork extenders that allow me to effortlessly move the p/u cap alone, move rotary mowers easily w/o having to hitch them up, etc, etc. There are also a zillion grapple options out there that have tremendous utility. One fellow I know combined the grapple with his forks for moving logs to a processor. And if one is inclined to have a backhoe, the weight on either end complements the utility of the other end, ie: L-4330 lifting, barely, a full size Bridgeport mill. Has anyone ever heard of someone saying he really wishes he had not gotten a loader?

 

[gino45]

This thread made me think of my old Uncle Fred, who died about 10 years ago at age 93.
Fred always bought the best car. He always bought a Cadillac.
He always voted for the best candidate.
He always voted Republican. He told me, "my country right or wrong". I said, "my country's wrong this time".

Now, it's certain that out there in big farm country in America there is are more green tractors, and there's nothing wrong with that; however, if you were to travel the countryside in, say France, green would not be dominant. Over there you would see a lot of blue.

So obviously, we all have our prejudices and can create arguments to support them. I think that there are several fine tractor brands. With some you may pay more for what you get. That's your choice!

Me? I drive a little orange tractor.

 

[Slackdaddy]

Final Word !
All CUT's sold in the USA are "final assembled" in the USA,
The dealer uncrates them and puts em together !
Not a Single CUT is "made" in the USA, period, check the castings on the axles.
Everything in between these 2 extremes is the "grey area"

Like I said, I may end up with a Deere, but I am not falling for the "pay a few grand more because it's a Deere" Bunk, they are no better nor no worse than the other top CUTs.


Slack

 

[crfowler]

Final Word !
All CUT's sold in the USA are "final assembled" in the USA,
The dealer uncrates them and puts em together !
Not a Single CUT is "made" in the USA, period, check the castings on the axles.
Everything in between these 2 extremes is the "grey area"

Like I said, I may end up with a Deere, but I am not falling for the "pay a few grand more because it's a Deere" Bunk, they are no better nor no worse than the other top CUTs.


Slack

Slackdaddy,

I agree with you 100%. We live very much in a globalized economy. If I were to compare 'apples with apples' I would buy an American made product. Unfortunately even the most American of American company's have to manufacture (and sometimes assemble) overseas in order to compete in the market place.

There's another point, perhaps a more touchy one, look at what the Japanese Automaker's have done in the U.S? They've raised the bar, and now the US automakers are playing catchup, my point is a little competition from overseas, is a good think, especially for the consumer.

I think people should really focus on HOW the product is made not where it is made.

Now lets get back to the stats on these tractors.........

 

[radman1]

Kubota outsells Deere nearly 3-1 in the CUT business. While not all their models are US assembly, many do. The odds of that being true and slim to none.

I may stand corrected. I didn't know that kubota was built in the US. Which models are built in the US? I don't just mean putting on the tires or FEL but have the engines, transmissions, electrical etc put on in the factory. I had believed that most JD CUTs where truely assembled in the US. Is that not correct? (By the way, I don't really care where CUTs are made. Instead does the CUT suit my needs, price, reliability, and future resale is what matters to me.)

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

I may stand corrected. I didn't know that kubota was built in the US. Which models are built in the US? I don't just mean putting on the tires or FEL but have the engines, transmissions, electrical etc put on in the factory. I had believed that most JD CUTs where truely assembled in the US. Is that not correct? (By the way, I don't really care where CUTs are made. Instead does the CUT suit my needs, price, reliability, and future resale is what matters to me.)

Yea. Your totally right about the importance of this. Not getting the facts straight leads to unnessesarly tense conversations though. Kubota actually builds all the BX's, ZG,ZD,GR,T,RTV,TLB's Loaders, Backhoes, Mowers at KMA (Kubota Manufacturing of America) just outside Atlanta. Some of this is even exported to Europe. B's and L's come from Japan and are preped by the dealers. M's have some work done in the USA, but not much.

 

[pitt_md]

Slackdaddy,

I agree with you 100%. We live very much in a globalized economy. If I were to compare 'apples with apples' I would buy an American made product. Unfortunately even the most American of American company's have to manufacture (and sometimes assemble) overseas in order to compete in the market place.

There's another point, perhaps a more touchy one, look at what the Japanese Automaker's have done in the U.S? They've raised the bar, and now the US automakers are playing catchup, my point is a little competition from overseas, is a good think, especially for the consumer.

I think people should really focus on HOW the product is made not where it is made.

Now lets get back to the stats on these tractors.........

They have raised the bar on the CUT's as well. Out selling the rest by 3-1
in the USA is not something to over look. They are all built in Japan in house. They are not buying a motor from china, and axels from mexico and castings from inda and slapping it together and calling it whatever. We all like ours tractors and don't want to hear that something else is better in someone else's opinion. I'm still somewhat amazed to the extent that people go to twist fact's, cherry pick info to justify what they own...

 

[Bob_Young]

Jackster,
I think the M6040 is a great choice. Definitely get the loader. A tractor without a loader can only pull things. With a loader, it can push, lift, and carry things as well...and pull at the same time if need be.

An FEL will put some weight over those front wheels and give them traction. Riding low in the weeds, it'll make contact with the limbs and deadfalls before they get tangled up in your undercarriage or bush hog....it'll make a great grille guard. It can be used to ram the limbs, etc. back into the woods. It'll carry your chainsaws, axes, hammers, wedges and chains when you go out for firewood or to clear a deadfall. You can put your soft drinks and beer in the bucket and fill it with ice when you have a party. They'll do more than move dirt. You'll find more uses for it than you knew existed.
FWIW
Bob